Uchiha Kage: From Zero to 'Wait, Was That a Jonin I Just Exploded?' in Under 24 Hours

Almost completely wrong, even!

Although he was talking to Ino, Uchiha Kage's attention remained on Hinata.

*Hinata is being unusually shy with me today. Could it be because I groped her chest during yesterday's combat exercise, and… is that why she's acting like this?*

Anyway, there's no way the larger Hinata from last night's 'dream' was the slightly smaller Hinata in front of him.

"Kage, I heard that after the graduation exam today, we'll be split into three-person ninja squads. I hope I get to be on your team!"

Yamanaka Ino, as always, clung to Uchiha Kage's arm, flaunting their closeness to the rest of the class.

"Is that so?"

*Too bad, it's not going to happen.*

Uchiha Kage muttered inwardly.

Ino would be forming the new Ino-Shika-Cho Formation squad with Shikamaru and Choji; that much was already decided.

Just like how Naruto wouldn't pass the graduation exam during the day, but would learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from the Forbidden Technique Scroll that night. That was also preordained.

I'm starting to understand what Orochimaru meant in the original story by 'a windmill that won't move'*.

"You don't want to be on a team with me?"

Seeing the lack of reaction from the boy beside her, Ino couldn't help but wonder if he even cared about her.

"No, if I had my way, I'd definitely want to be on a team with you."

*Ideally, I'd be on a team with Hinata and Ino, with Yuhi Kurenai as our Jonin instructor.*

Of course, that was just a fantasy. In reality… Uchiha Kage thought it was highly unlikely that he'd be grouped with any of the Konoha 12.

"Me too!"

Hearing Uchiha Kage's affirmative answer, Ino happily narrowed her eyes.

*See, Kage does like me.*

----

"What!? Today's the graduation exam?"

Naruto was, as always, shouting about the smallest things.

"To be precise, today's the last part: the Ninjutsu exam."

Shikamaru lay sprawled across his desk, listless.

Becoming a ninja would be troublesome.

"Damn it, why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Iruka-sensei told us a long time ago. You just forgot, didn't you?"

Choji chewed on his potato chips.

The exam was just the Clone Technique; surely no one would fail that, right?

He thought absentmindedly.

"Ah! I remember now. It is today… I'm doomed! I haven't prepared at all."

Naruto looked dejected.

*Damn it, if only it was the Transformation Technique.*

The Clone Technique was the Ninjutsu he was worst at.

"Don't worry, deadlast. Even if you had prepared, you still wouldn't pass."

Sasuke usually didn't pay attention to his classmates, but seeing Naruto's crestfallen face, he couldn't resist kicking him while he was down.

"Don't underestimate me! I'll definitely pass the graduation exam!"

Although Naruto felt apprehensive about the Clone Technique exam, hearing Sasuke's taunt immediately ignited his fighting spirit.

----

----

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! Everyone else passed the exam, except for me…"

As it turned out, even if he burned his Chakra to the limit, he still couldn't do what he couldn't do.

Naruto's Clone Technique only produced a corpse, and Iruka-sensei promptly deemed it a failure.

So, Naruto could only watch enviously as the other students received their Konoha headbands from the school's teachers, symbols of honor and their status as ninjas.

And the agreement they had made, to discuss the mission from the 'dream' with Uchiha Kage and Sasuke after school today…

Naruto no longer had the courage to go find them.

They're Genin now, and I'm still…

I would just slow them down.

*Creak.*

It was still the old swing in front of the school gate, still the shaded area completely separated from the noisy crowd of parents picking up their children.

However, unlike last time, it wasn't Uchiha Kage who appeared beside the lonely Naruto, but someone else…

"Eh? Mizuki-sensei? You're saying that if I learn the Ninjutsu from the Forbidden Technique Scroll, I can graduate and become a Genin?"

----

"The 'plot' has begun."

Walking through the crowd, Uchiha Kage noticed the commotion around Naruto.

*Looks like Naruto will be using the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique tonight.*

"But I didn't expect this on my end too…"

Out of caution, Uchiha Kage activated his Byakugan on his way home and was slightly surprised to discover a 'tail' not far behind him.

Although their presence was well hidden, it was no match for the Byakugan's vision.

So, Hiruzen didn't tell Danzo about the Future Note.

Otherwise, Danzo wouldn't have the leisure to send someone to watch him, the Uchiha failure who couldn't awaken his Sharingan.

"Good. Tonight, I'll give Danzo a dose of eye medicine in the dream, further widening the rift of suspicion between him and Hiruzen."

Uchiha Kage thought silently as he continued walking forward as if nothing was amiss.

"But for now, I'll make this guy following me suffer a little first."

----

"Hayate, I'm on a mission. Please don't interfere."

Uzuki Yugao was tailing Uchiha Kage according to the Third Hokage's instructions.

Seeing that he had successfully passed the school exam and become a Genin, she couldn't help but feel happy for him.

The Uchiha clan really doesn't produce any talentless people.

However, just as she was about to leave the school with him and continue following him, Gekko Hayate, a fellow Anbu member who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly appeared in front of her.

And interrupted her stakeout.

"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to ask you to go eat Dango with me. There's a new Dango Shop that just opened."

He had originally wanted to play a prank on Uzuki Yugao using his Transparent Escape, but he didn't expect her to be so serious.

Gekko Hayate apologized quickly.

"What mission could there be at the school?"

Konoha had been quite peaceful in recent years, and the Anbu's most frequent missions now were patrolling the streets.

The school was usually guarded by teachers; there was no need for Anbu intervention.

"This is the Hokage-sama's order. Are you trying to violate regulations and pry into my mission?"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!"

"Then get out of my way!"

Uzuki Yugao glanced ahead and realized that Uchiha Kage's figure was almost out of sight in just a moment.

She couldn't help but feel anxious.

Hayate, this guy, he's been too relaxed for too long because of the peace.

What if enemies really infiltrated the Village one day…

Uzuki Yugao couldn't help but worry about Gekko Hayate.

Although they hadn't officially become a couple due to being fellow Anbu members, Uzuki Yugao and Gekko Hayate were just one confession away from it.

However, now wasn't the time for lecturing.

After giving Gekko Hayate a cold glare, Uzuki Yugao quickly moved her feet, darting between the rooftops and tree branches, heading into the distance.

"Isn't today a day off? What kind of mission did Hokage-sama give Yugao…"

Watching the rapidly receding figure, Gekko Hayate scratched his head in confusion.

----

----

As an evil Uchiha, Uchiha Kage was naturally not going to sit still and wait to be targeted again and again.

"I need to think of a good plan, preferably one that doesn't expose too much of my strength, but still gives him a big loss."

Looking at the Konoha Death Forest right in front of him, Uchiha Kage suddenly had a good idea.

Fortunately, he was always cautious and always kept self-defense ninja tools in his ninja pouch.

"Simple traps definitely won't stop him, but if…"

Quickly running behind a large tree to hide himself, Uchiha Kage began to set up his trap.

Meanwhile.

"There really is a problem."

*Buzz…*

A tiny insect flew back from the forest and landed on the person's finger.

"He actually sensed me behind him in advance, and deliberately led me to the Death Forest."

Aburame Ryoma, whose entire face was hidden inside a hood, received the information brought back by his insect and his expression gradually became serious.

"And the returned intelligence shows that this kid's Chakra reserves aren't small, which is clearly inconsistent with the description of him being 'weak and sickly'."

Danzo-sama's guess was right. The Uchiha orphan *is* hiding something.

"Hmm? He actually set up a trap in such a short time?"

How could a Genin who just graduated from the academy have this kind of skill?

Looking at the perfectly arranged trap in front of him, which he would easily fall into if he wasn't careful, Aburame Ryoma became even more certain that Uchiha Kage was not simple.

He originally intended to bypass the trap, but after noticing something, Aburame Ryoma stopped and deliberately walked towards the trap.

Hmph, a trap in front, and then he hides nearby to try and ambush me?

But my insects have already found your hiding place. No matter how good your idea is, it's just a futile effort.

With a *boom*, Aburame Ryoma, who deliberately triggered the trap, put on a panicked expression, but in reality, his attention was always on the direction where Uchiha Kage was.

He moved!

At the same time as the trap was triggered, Aburame Ryoma saw the figure of the boy attacking with a Kunai from the blind spot behind him.

"A shallow scheme."

And he couldn't hold back, jumping out before the power of the trap could even be used. As expected of a young man's nature.

Slightly curving the corners of his mouth, Aburame Ryoma decided to teach this boy a good lesson.

Secret Technique: Insect Sphere!

A swarm of insects flew out from Aburame Ryoma's sleeves and feet, and seemingly as if he had expected it, they formed a ball and enveloped Uchiha Kage, who was rushing out from the blind spot behind him.

"Parasitic Destruction Insects, don't absorb all his Chakra. It wouldn't be good if he died; we'd never hear the end of it from Danzo-sama."

*Poof!*

Before Aburame Ryoma could finish his self-talk, the Uchiha Kage who was being devoured by the insect ball disappeared into a puff of white smoke.

A Shadow Clone!?

Then where is his real body—

The side!

Sensing the sound of something cutting through the air coming from the side of his body, Aburame Ryoma quickly determined Uchiha Kage's real position.

Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon!

Although he had been tricked, Aburame Ryoma's experience and reaction speed allowed him to adjust quickly.

He increased his Chakra output to hatch more new insects while taking out a Kunai to deal with the boy attacking from the side with Body Art.

*Clang!*

But after the Kunai collided with each other, Aburame Ryoma immediately felt that something was wrong.

*Poof!*

"This is also a Shadow Clone?"

As a cloud of white smoke drifted past, Aburame Ryoma immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

"No, it's the Substitution Technique, and the decoy I used is the real trap."

"The real trap?"

After Uchiha Kage's voice came from above, Aburame Ryoma noticed that the trap he had pretended to trigger at the beginning had no follow-up at all.

"So, the first trap was just a diversion!"

*Zzzzzzz!*

As the sound of the wire sliding and tightening like sour teeth rang out, the substitute wooden stake that was hit by Aburame Ryoma's Kunai suddenly burst open.

And Aburame Ryoma himself was also bound by the invisible wire that tore the wooden stake apart.

There were also a dozen Exploding Tags hanging on the wire, like adding circles and circles of colorful ribbons to his body.

"Explode!"

Uchiha Kage detonated the Exploding Tags wrapped around Aburame Ryoma without hesitation.

The enemy in front of him was likely a Jonin; he couldn't afford to take any chances.

And the reality was just as he thought. Although the opponent was caught in his Exploding Tag trap, the opponent still maintained a stable aura after the smoke from the explosion dissipated.

Secret Technique: Insect Wall!

The new insects that Aburame Ryoma had catalyzed earlier played a role, blocking most of the explosion outside of his body.

*Patta patta.*

Watching the insects he had painstakingly nurtured fall to the ground in large numbers, Aburame Ryoma felt a long-lost sense of anger.

And because of the not-so-timely protection just now, he was careless and his left shoulder was injured by the explosion, now dripping with blood, which made him feel especially humiliated.

He was actually injured like this by a Genin who just graduated from the ninja academy?

"Don't run, you little kid!"

Breaking free from the wire restraints, Aburame Ryoma chased after Uchiha Kage, who was running away again, with a face full of murderous intent.

----

Huff… Huff…

So many Exploding Tags only hurt him a little.

Is this the law of 'smoke and mirrors' (all the flash, no substance)?

Uchiha Kage ran while complaining about his previous results.

"Now that he's chasing me so urgently, I don't know if I can make it in time."

Uchiha Kage first calculated his position, then activated his Byakugan to search for a Yellow-hair who was running away with a Scroll on his back.

"The trap just now was just an appetizer; what's next is the main course for you."

*Rustle.*

Soon, Uchiha Kage heard movement coming from the forest ahead.

And just at the right time, a second before Aburame Ryoma caught up to him, he crashed into the Yellow-hair who happened to be running through the forest—

"Naruto!?"

Uchiha Kage covered his head and looked 'surprised' at the Yellow-hair who had been knocked to the ground by him.

"Kage!?"

The person carrying the Scroll and running through the forest was naturally Naruto, who had just "stolen" the Forbidden Technique Scroll from the Hokage Building.

"Why are you here?"

The two almost simultaneously asked each other.

Of course, Uchiha Kage was faking it.

"You kid, see where you can run this time!"

Because he was so angry that his blood was surging, Aburame Ryoma, who had no time to pay attention to Naruto, stabbed Uchiha Kage's neck with a Kunai at this time.

And this scene was finally seen by an old man in the Hokage Office who was using a crystal ball as surveillance.